It's quite a shame that UKIP can't actually take outright power

[SunnyInHades]

SNP are likely to get in so you will be alright.

Sturgeon's just been on Sky news.
Confidence & Supply: "Only if Labour agree to SCRAP Trident, not reduce the fleet"

No surprise, considering that she was prominent in CND, "Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener" infact.

Looking now like a Con minority, week-by-week, issue-by-issue voting Commons is possible now ..

[malvolio]

How many of those drops in unemployment are due to people being forced into self-employment on zero hours contracts?

I think it's one of the main reasons PCG changed their name to appeal to all those new SE people that the Coalition created.

About 2.5% of the working population are on zero hours gigs and 90% of them have been for some time; I know a few people that are quite happily picking and putting down work hours as necessary. The number of families where nobody has a job of any kind has plummeted, neatly coinciding with the drop in state hand-outs to the feckless.

Academic research (i.e. not supposition and rumour) has shown that the growth in the self-employed is an endemic shift in the labour market and not because people can't get real jobs.

So personally I think the decrease in the non-working population is both genuine and a major achievement.

[Euler]

Vote UKIP you know you want to ....

[Batcher]

Sturgeon's just been on Sky news.
Confidence & Supply: "Only if Labour agree to SCRAP Trident, not reduce the fleet"

No surprise, considering that she was prominent in CND, "Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener" infact.

Looking now like a Con minority, week-by-week, issue-by-issue voting Commons is possible now ..

A Con minority can't happen if Labour/SNP/Greens/Plaid vote against the Queen's Speech.

[TheFaQQer]

About 2.5% of the working population are on zero hours gigs and 90% of them have been for some time; I know a few people that are quite happily picking and putting down work hours as necessary. The number of families where nobody has a job of any kind has plummeted, neatly coinciding with the drop in state hand-outs to the feckless.

Academic research (i.e. not supposition and rumour) has shown that the growth in the self-employed is an endemic shift in the labour market and not because people can't get real jobs.

So personally I think the decrease in the non-working population is both genuine and a major achievement.

And at the same time, 20% of people using food banks have a job (of some kind), but require help because their income is so low.

Research isn't available to show what percentage of those people have a zero hours contract.

[pjclarke]

A Con minority can't happen if Labour/SNP/Greens/Plaid vote against the Queen's Speech.

Labour 3 points ahead ....

[malvolio]

Sturgeon's just been on Sky news.
Confidence & Supply: "Only if Labour agree to SCRAP Trident, not reduce the fleet"

No surprise, considering that she was prominent in CND, "Youth Affairs Vice Convener and Publicity Vice Convener" infact.

Looking now like a Con minority, week-by-week, issue-by-issue voting Commons is possible now ..

Sturgeon's not standing for a seat in Westminster and so has no business dictating terms in the UK Parliament. She can, of course, instruct her pet Potato Head and whoever else does get elected on how she wants them to vote before hearing the relevant debate... Incidentally I wonder why nobody's heard from him lately: does he not have a view on how his new Parliament will be set up?

All well and good having aspirations and doing what your constituency wants (well a minority of it, at least, if we're honest about it), but this shower fill me with dread with their naked ambition for power at all costs.

[DodgyAgent]

How many of those drops in unemployment are due to people being forced into self-employment on zero hours contracts?

I think it's one of the main reasons PCG changed their name to appeal to all those new SE people that the Coalition created.

So you think people should be on benefits rather than work on zero hours contracts? Zero hours contracts have enabled a lot of people to step into work and prove themselves. and whilst I would agree that many employers are exploiting this there is today enough jobs competition to enable workers to progress into full time jobs.

[SunnyInHades]

Labour 3 points ahead ....

Labour 5% ahead according to the Betfair betting exchange today, mapping to the following seats ..

Con: 280
Lab: 269
SNP: 41
LibDem: 33
Others: 24
UKIP: 3

Despite press reports, Farage is odds on to take South Thanet (decimal odds to 1 .. £1 on get £1.67 if he wins) ..
UKIP: 1.67
Con: 4.3
Labour: 5.4
LibDem: 110
Pub Landlord - Al Murray: 170

[vetran]

So you think people should be on benefits rather than work on zero hours contracts? Zero hours contracts have enabled a lot of people to step into work and prove themselves. and whilst I would agree that many employers are exploiting this there is today enough jobs competition to enable workers to progress into full time jobs.

spot on,maybe we need to tinker with them slightly to stop abuse. say remove any exclusivity clause, outlaw fake self employment forced on workers where they have to pay to work etc but a flexible workforce is a good workforce.